Lower Farm Gravel pits have become one of Berkshires most productive birding sites. In summer they holds breeding wildfowl and waders, whilst its late summer and autumn wader passage is turning up a wide variety of county rarities.

Created by gravel extractions by the Tarmac group, now part of Anglo American plc, the pits to the southwest of Lower Farm have been temporarily turned into a nature reserve, as part of the land regeneration program at the end of the gravel extraction.

The reserve is reached by driving to the end of Hambridge Lane industrial estate in east Newbury. Continue under the railway arch and take the left hand fork. Carefully follow the tarmac road towards the Trout lake, turning right at the quarry entrance. Follow the track, turning left into the car park at SU499662.

The entrance to the hide is through a gate 20 meters to the south, and then along a footpath. In autumn and winter Stonechat often perch on the wooden fence, providing confiding views. The hide was generously donated by Tarmac, and was officially opened in February 1997. It is now left open at all times. Prior to that the site was only viewable from the track opposite.

The fields to the south are not striclty part of Lower Farm, but have held nesting Little Ringed and Ringed Plover and Lapwing, as well as being good for passage Whinchat and Wheatear. There has even been a single record of a displaying Woodlark.

The view from the hide can be rather frustrating, as the view is dominated by many partially submerged Willows and the site is criss-crossed by many concealed channels. Waders, and in particular Little Egret, can remain concealed for long periods of time before appearing as if by magic.

Unfortunately during land relamation work there has been a large influx of mud, which has half filled the reed beds and part of the gravel pit, and raised the water table. The isolated islands are now an extended spit, which has adversely affect the roosting by the Golden Plover, whose winter numbers once peaked at up to 3500 birds. They now appear to have switched to Greenham Common, and the flats of the Newbury race Course, in much reduced numbers.

The Newbury Ornithology group carries out regular weekend bird counts from autumn to spring, and a log book, and wipe board are kept inside the hide.

Summer breeders include Little Grebe, occasional Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Shelduck, Mallard and Tufted Duck. Coots and Moorhens abound, whilst there are breeding Little Ringed and Ringed Plover, Redshank, Lapwing, and in the summer of 2004, at least five pairs of Black-headed Gull nested.

A Tern raft was moored in the center of the water in early 2003, resulting in three pairs of Common Tern nesting, with two chicks fledging, with further nesting in the summers of 2004 and 2005.

Spring passage migrants have included Black-necked Grebe, Garganey, Ringed-necked Duck, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit, Wimbrel, Turnstone, and Little Gull.

Birds of prey include the commoner Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, with Hobby in summer and Peregrine in winter. There have been two summer records of Osprey, and there were passage Marsh Harriers in the late autumn of 2000, August 2001, and again in the spring of 2003.

Passerines are represented by generous numbers of Pied Wagtail, local Grey Wagtail and passage Yellow Wagtail. The small reed bed in front of the hide has held Bittern, Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker, Kingfisher and Reed Bunting. A Wryneck was in the trees behind the hide in the autumn of 2003.

Late summer and autumn wader passage is a major attraction, indeed the list of waders seen rivals any other site in Berkshire. The numerous Green and Common Sandpiper, Greenshank and Dunlin have been joined over the last five years by Little and Temminck's Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew and Spotted Redshank. A Knot was present for two days in November 2002.

The Grey Herons have been joined in late summer by up to four Little Egret. Snipe numbers build up rapidly from late summer, with the Golden Plover appearing from September onwards. Jack Snipe are a more secretive visitor, with a handful of records in recent winters.

By late Autumn the first Wigeon have arrived, joining the Teal, Gadwall, Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, and occasional Mandarin, Pintail, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser and Goosander.

During the winter a large raft of Lesser Black-backed Gulls gather on the gravel pits, joined by small numbers of Herring and Yellow-legged Gull, occasional Great Black-backed Gull, and even Glaucous Gull and Kittiwake on rare occasions. A Record of a 'Kumlien's' Iceland Gull in March 2004 is currently pending acceptance.

There is no direct public access to Newbury Trout lake to the East, but good views can be had from the entrance to the quarry, with more distant views from along the Kennet and Avon canal, or the lower edge of Bowdown Woods.

Single Little Egret and a handful of Common and Green Sandpiper can be seen around the lake in late summer, whilst kingfisher, Snipe and occasionally Water Rail appear along the lakes muddy edges. In winter there is always a selection of Wildfowl, with Smew and Goosander recorded in recent winters.

Historical records for the Trout lake including a Spoonbill in June 1982, an Avocet in November 1991, and a Dark-bellied Brent Goose in April 2003, which ventured as far as the fields overlooking the Gravel pits opposite.

The long term future for Lower Farm is however not assured. Tarmac are obliged to maintain the site for only 5 years after work has ceased. The Lower Farm site is actually owned by Rivar of Newbury, or one of its directors, and it is leased to Tarmac for the duration of the gravel extraction.

The owner of the site has already sort permission to build a fishing lodge to exploit the fishing rights. This would allow fishing in the Northeast corner of the site, including the use of boats. This in itself is no problem, but it will cause a certain degree of disturbance. Once Tarmac have discharged their duties, nobody has any idea what will transpire in the long term.

I am currently compilying a list of Species recorded at Lower Farm, which provisionally stands at approximately 157.

Systematic list June 2008:

Little Grebe(br), Great Crested Grebe(br), Black-necked Grebe, Cormorant, Bittern, Cattle Egret, Little Egret, Grey Heron, Spoonbill, Mute Swan(two unsuccessful nesting attempts), Bewick's Swan, Greylag Goose, Canada Goose(br), Brent Goose, Egyptian Goose, Shelduck(br), Mandarin Duck, Wigeon, Gadwall(br), Teal, Mallard(br), Garganey, Pintail, Shoveler, Pochard(br), Ring-necked Duck, Tufted Duck(br), Common Scoter, Goldeneye, Smew, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Ruddy Duck(br), Red Kite, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Osprey, Kestrel, Hobby, Peregrine Falcon, Red-legged Partridge, Grey Partridge, Pheasant, Water Rail, Moorhen(br), Coot(br), Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover(br), Ringed Plover(br), Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Lapwing(br), Knot, Sanderling, Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin, Ruff, Jack Snipe, Snipe, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Wimbrel, Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Redshank(br), Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Grey Phalarope, Mediterranean Gull, Little Gull, Black-headed Gull(br), Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring/Caspian Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, 'Kumlien's'Iceland Gull (record pending), Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Kittiwake, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern(br), Arctic Tern(*), Black Tern, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove(*), Turtle Dove(*), Cuckoo, Short-eared Owl(*), Swift, Kingfisher, Wryneck, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker(*), Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark(*), Sand Martin, Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit(*), Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Water Pipit, Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Black Redstart(*), Redstart(*), Whinchat, Stonechat(br?), Northern Wheatear, Blackbird, Fieldfare, Song Thrush, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Cetti's Warbler(*), Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler(br), Lesser Whitethroat, Whitethroat, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest(*), Long-tailed Tit, Marsh Tit(*), Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper(*), Great Grey Shrike(*), Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Rook, Carrion Crow(br), Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Siskin(*), Linnet, Lesser Redpoll, Bullfinch(*), Yellowhammer(*), Reed Bunting(seen collecting nesting material).

NB – (br) Breeding, (?) need confirmation, (*) possibly outside the boundary.